As I write this, several thoughts are coming to mind – at least a few more than usual. And all of them relate to the park project, which, I am very proud, is gaining momentum. A developer agreement has been signed with the City of Monroe. Proposals will be reviewed and accepted by the City in the coming weeks so the project can begin, which is the main question people are asking! But I am also thinking about the actual site itself. Not about specs, not about the money that has already been raised or what still needs to be raised, but about the space and future of this place.
In community development, there are dozens of words to describe places and their dimensions: community place-knowledge, community place-care, community place-making, tactical place-making, community design, community planning, urban design, etc. … all defined to capture specifics about the human experience in a space. Often they become buzzwords coined in academic circles, reflecting movements and generational changes. But I also think there are so many of them because we are trying to define something that is not easily defined. None of them really capture it: the authenticity of a place.
The northeast corner of the square is nothing more to me than an unused green space. Until recently, it never occurred to me that there were buildings on that corner. I’ve heard about this square from several people when it was still a place. A place where the Community Bank handed out popcorn and offered a choice of milk or chocolate milk to celebrate Dairy Month. A place where “Mom” had a beauty salon upstairs, where Mayor Donna Douglas first worked after graduating from cosmetology school. And a place where there was a bakery.
The more I heard, the more I felt a connection to the space on the northeast corner of the square because a lot was happening there. Another coined phrase: social capital of the place. Connections between people within and connected to the place. And like the entire downtown area, there is a lot of it.
How exactly people come together to discover and experience the park’s features is up to you. Perhaps it will be used by small groups (just you and your spouse) or by large groups within the community and weekend visitors. There is a daily cycle, cycles between weekdays and weekends, seasonal and annual cycles, and even the life cycle of people. But we are making sure that in addition to the restrooms that are desperately needed in the community, there are options that allow for choice, including programming. Access will be inclusive, with fewer physical (ADA) and social barriers.
Main Street’s predecessor was the Business Improvement District. A former board member is donating $1,000 as part of our “100 Families Who Love Monroe” special donor category. (She and anyone else who donates $1,000 will be recognized on a separate donor plaque.) She served on the BID board from 1988 to 2018 and was active on our design committee. She told me that the park with public restrooms was “always our greatest desire” throughout all those decades. Now we’re close to transforming it back into a place with an emphasis on authenticity.
And I am so excited to work with all of you who will visit and use it to discover what gives this place meaning, personality and connection to Monroe for generations to come.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director of Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more information about Main Street Monroe and its efforts, visit mainstreetmonroe.org.
